The Greek Gods ES

Both Dionysus and Aphrodite are gods that have ties to the East. As we’ve discussed in class, Aphrodite is often portrayed as having eastern  qualities of appearance as well as being closely related to Cyprus, which is just south of modern day Turkey. Dionysus is portrayed as often returning from the East, followed by a herd of Asiatic maenads, as he is in Euripides', where he comes on the scene saying “Already I’ve made Asia dance and serve me,” (line 21). 

Another thing that Aphrodite and Dionysus have in common is that they stand apart from the Olympians in the realm of genealogy. Both Aphrodite and Dionysus lack the traditional birth origins of the other Olympians, with Aphrodite coming from a much older lineage and Dionysus being of half mortal heritage. 

Dionysus and Aphrodite are also frequently linked together- in Euripides, Aphrodite is mentioned in regards to Dionysus several times by both Pentheus and the chorus of Asiatic maenads. Pentheus says, when describing the women of the city who have begun to serve Dionysus sexually that “They say this craziness is for the god/ But they like Aphrodite more than Bacchus” (line 225). He also says that, like elite women of the era, Dionysus stays inside to keep his skin pale “hunting Aphrodite with your beauty” (line 459). The maenads long to “go to Cyprus, Aphrodite’s Island...or Paphos,” (lines 403-407) where they can act as they are supposed to “performing celebrations” (line 416). 

So what is the significance of Aphrodite and Dionysus’ close connection in mythology, especially the significance of the East, or at least, the perception of the East? Comparing similarities, we see that both are gods who encourage desire and its manifestations, both are physically beautiful, and both cause mortals to engage in the visceral behavior that perhaps Zeus, or most certainly Pentheus would discourage. So is it fair to assume that the Greeks, at least those who helped to build the foundations of the mythology of these two gods, thought of the East as a place of exotic desires, exotic beauties, and exotic behaviors? And what is the significance of the two gods who are associated with the East being of irregular birth compared to the Olympians? Perhaps it has a nationalist flavor; the gods that are of the most kosher origin are those that form the clique of the Olympians, which one could consider the most traditionally Greek gods, while those of bastardized or less orthodox origin are associated with the non-Greek. In summary, what was the ancient Greek view of the East and how can we use that perception to gain a deeper understanding of these gods separately and together?